About

Two Locations. One Purpose.

Children’s Harbor provides children with serious illnesses and their families a place to be themselves — to have fun and relax in a safe setting — while also receiving no-cost services that make life a bit easier for the whole family.

Family Center

The Children’s Harbor Family Center, located in the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children, in Birmingham, Alabama, offers lots of ways for patients and their families to break away from their hospital stay.

Events & Activities

What’s coming up at the Family Center? Visit our events page and choose times for family fun, grab a few moments of relaxation, take a much-needed break to get support, or select other ways to recharge and reconnect. All that we do is designed to make life better for you.Learn More ›

Daily Needs

The details of life don’t slow down for family illness. But we gladly help in lots of ways — whether you need quick load of laundry, a ride to a next doctor’s appointment or a fresh new hairstyle. Find out more about all the ways Children’s Harbor’s Family Center tries to make your daily life easier.Learn More ›

Coaching & Counseling

Sometimes help is delivered with a listening ear. With a child’s illness, families have to juggle multiple challenges that can often be exhausting and overwhelming. No one knows this road before it arrives. But once you’re here, our Coaching and Counseling can help guide you through this new normal.Learn More ›

Ways to Play

Sometimes, children just want to play. Sick children, healthy children, and their parents need a place to spend time together having fun. Children’s Harbor provides many ways for you to enjoy some downtime with your family – through scheduled activities or your own breaks for a quick game or two.Learn More ›

› Events & Activities

› Daily Needs

› Coaching & Counseling

› Ways to Play

Children’s Harbor Family Center

Directly connected to the state-of-the-art Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children, the Family Center focuses on serving children and their families through activities and recreation, coaching and counseling, education, respite and other supportive services during and after hospitalization.

The Family Center was made possible by a gift of Ben and Luanne Russell. The 2001 opening of the Family Center was a follow up to the opening of Children’s Harbor on Lake Martin in 1989 and is part of the Russells continuing commitment to make Children’s Harbor the best family service organization in the pediatric health care community.

Find Us at the Hospital

While in the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children, follow the playful blue river floor pattern on Main Street (second floor). It will lead you across the bridge to the Atrium. Once you're in the Atrium, you will see a large compass on the floor pointing directly to our glass doors. It's easy. We are located in the center — between the two crosswalks/bridges.

Our Stories

Sydney Newton

After a hard battle, Sydney became cancer free on May 28th 2010. Although she is no longer taking treatments, Sydney is still involved with helping children battling cancer at Children’s of Alabama. She spends time helping with her foundation called Sydney’s Coins for Courage, which encourages children and their families battling cancer through Beads of Courage.Read Full Story ›

Caleb

Caleb is a great example of the little miracles that happen continuously throughout our Family Center. Because of chronic pain brought on by his diagnosis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura, it had been very hard for Caleb to find the motivation to walk. Doctors, nurses and physical therapists tried and tried for a month to motivate Caleb to resume movement, but all of their attempts were unsuccessful. However, that changed when Caleb came to the Family Center for our remote control car race.Read Full Story ›

How Can You Help?

The assistance Children’s Harbor receives from generous donors and active volunteers is central to carrying out our mission. Learn more about getting involved.